Each May, we recognize the many contributions that nurses make to society. Here at UCSF Radiology, nurses play an important role in both patient care and clinical research. We interviewed Kimberly Okamoto, RN, a clinical research nurse, about the variety of roles research nurses play overall and here at UCSF as well as what she enjoys most about being a clinical research nurse.
What is a clinical research nurse?
Clinical research nurses can fulfill a variety of roles including managing research centers, developing protocols, and coordinating studies. However, the most crucial role the research nurse plays is providing nursing care for research patients and volunteers. Studies often involve specialized nursing care that caters to specific research protocol guidelines developed by investigators to ensure both patient safety and study integrity. Our nurses are trained on…
